Computer architectures include processors and processor memory, among other hardware components. Processors, which can also be referred to as central processing units (CPUs), can execute instructions that cause the processors to perform the operations for executing software applications. A computer can include one processor or multiple processors. A single processor can have multiple processing cores.
Processor memory is the memory used by a processor for temporary storage of data being used by or operated on by the processor. Processor memory is often implemented using a type of Dynamic Random Access Memory (DRAM), though it can be implemented with other volatile memory types. A processor can include one or more channels for communicating with processor memory, which is normally located off-chip from the processor.
To connect processing cores in the processor to the memory channels, the processor can include an interconnect. The interconnect can include wiring and logic to efficiently move data across the chip. In some cases, the interconnect can also include logic for optimizing the transfer of data, such as a cache memory.